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Since we are discussing the gig bags of noted guitarists, I thought I would provide one of my favorite stories from Steve Wallace about Ed Bickert and his gig bag:
(The Madeline mentioned here is of course his beloved wife, almost as much of a character in her own way as Ed, and who passed away in June 2000): One Christmas Madeline asked me if a new case for Ed’s guitar would be an appropriate gift for him. (As I’m sure you remember, his gig bag was a really flimsy, plastic beige thing that looked like it came from K-Mart). I told her to go to the Twelfth Fret because they knew his guitar, and would know exactly what was needed. I did tell her that it would have to be a soft gig bag and something not too bulky for Ed to find it acceptable.
Sure enough, when I was working with Ed at the Top ‘o the Senator just after Christmas, he showed up on the first night with a new gig bag. I commented on how nice it looked. However, a few nights later I came in to find Madeline at the bar looking rather unhappy. When I inquired as to her problem she informed me that Ed had taken the gig bag back to the Twelfth Fret. He told her that it affected the sound of his guitar. That didn’t sound right to me so I went up to the bandstand to ask Ed what happened to the new case. He told me that it affected his sound and went on to explain that his old case was so flimsy that he could fold it up and put it in the back of that old orange Roland amp of his. It muffled the speaker slightly and he liked that. The new case of course was far too big and bulky to go in the back of that little amp. I asked why he didn’t just keep the crappy old case folded in the amp permanently and use the new case to protect the guitar. But, as the words were coming out of my mouth I knew that was far too complicated a solution. He kept using the old gig bag until he retired.
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05-02-2024 12:29 PM
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I just like the guy more and more.
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Practicality personified. Yeah, he could have left the old bag in the back of the amp, but then the new bag is taking up space on stage somewhere.
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And here I thought he didn't use a gig bag at all, just tossed the guitar into the trunk of his car. The Tele looks like it.
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I think Mike Bloomfield showed up at a session with his tele in a garbage bag.
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Bloomfield was known to carry his Tele with no case or cover……through snow.
Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
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Rather thoughtless; no wonder his wife was unhappy.
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That's what I'm saying; Tone is in the case. Papa's got a brand new bag.
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It's a tele. It don't need no stinkin' case. Nothing can hurt it.
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I’ve got mine laying on the fireplace mantle right now. I use it to run scales and arpeggios while I’m on the treadmill. Originally Posted by sgosnell
It's a tele. It don't need no stinkin' case. Nothing can hurt it.
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They also make great cheese boards. Originally Posted by sgosnell
It's a tele. It don't need no stinkin' case. Nothing can hurt it.
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The slices are rather thick, though.
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Use the back for serving most cheeses. But the strings are spaced right for mozzarella slices to go on pizza. And a thin Tele also works well as a pizza peel, especially if you add a belly cut and run it around the end. Of course, you do have to remove the strings and body hardware. Originally Posted by sgosnell
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Let's not forget the ash tray!
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I saw those guys well over 100 times. Almost always a good time Originally Posted by AllanAllen
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Man, I'm jealous of you. They were broken up before I had the chance. Originally Posted by jim777
I saw those guys well over 100 times. Almost always a good time
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Which Ed actually used as an ash tray... Originally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles
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It has been said that the reason Ed stopped playing gigs the last few years of his life was because he wasn't allowed to smoke while playing anymore. I don't know the truth of that but he did smoke all the time.
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He injured his wrist badly on tour and had to stop playing for a while, then his wife’s MS worsened and she died shortly thereafter. It was time to retire. Originally Posted by WilliamScott
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Some peers have said be quit smoking some time before he died, and chewed gum instead. He has also talked about getting depressed and drinking heavily after his wife's death, which he said kind of finished him off. I think I have read he was being or had been treated for cancer at the time of his passing.
There is a set of videos made by one of his sons towards the end of his days. I think they are on Vimeo.
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I visited Ed at his home after he retired. He was not smoking anymore. Also, his injury happened at home, shoveling snow. I can’t say enough about what a nice person Ed was. Quiet and very humble, in spite of his incredible talent. He had just decided that the time had come to retire from the music business. Originally Posted by pcjazz
Keith
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That's what I read somewhere. Originally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles
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A saxophonist friend of mine lived in a dangerous neighborhood here in Buenos Aires and he carried his sax in a garbage bag. Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
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Oh, that could be problematic.... Originally Posted by Arnesto
Q. "Where'd my saxophone go, I put it in the corner there last night?"
A. "In that corner? I saw a garbage bag there this morning so I put it in the trash can, and the garbage collector just picked it up!"
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